Afghan President Hamid Karzai nominated a new vice president on Tuesday, a moderate politician from the same ethnic group as an opposition candidate contesting next month's presidential election.
Mohammad Younus Qanuni replaces Marshal Mohammad Fahim Qasim, who died following an illness last week. Both men are Tajiks, Afghanistan's second largest ethnic group.
Many Tajiks fought fiercely against the Taliban in the run-up to the US invasion in 2001. They are an important constituency in presidential polls scheduled for 5 April, which should mark the first time in Afghanistan's history that one elected government has handed power to another. Karzai has not officially backed any of the nine candidates currently campaigning, but his two brothers have endorsed former Foreign Minister Zalmay Rassoul, cementing the official's reputation as a palace favourite.
Mohammad Younus Qanuni replaces Marshal Mohammad Fahim Qasim, who died following an illness last week. Both men are Tajiks, Afghanistan's second largest ethnic group.
Many Tajiks fought fiercely against the Taliban in the run-up to the US invasion in 2001. They are an important constituency in presidential polls scheduled for 5 April, which should mark the first time in Afghanistan's history that one elected government has handed power to another. Karzai has not officially backed any of the nine candidates currently campaigning, but his two brothers have endorsed former Foreign Minister Zalmay Rassoul, cementing the official's reputation as a palace favourite.